I flew to Kansas on Thursday to assist my dad and mom with the annual Valentine’s Banquet they assist host for his or her church and group. That is an annual custom they began years in the past and it’s a much-anticipated occasion yearly. I believed you’ll take pleasure in seeing a recap of the occasion and it’d encourage you with concepts for occasions you may assist host or offer you concepts if you happen to’d love to do one thing comparable in your group!
Final 12 months, I bought to assist with it and loved it a lot that I requested if I might come again once more this 12 months to assist! The preparation for it begins weeks upfront with planning the theme and the decor and the menu plan. It takes plenty of fingers and volunteer hours to tug off and the top outcomes had been unimaginable!
Friday morning, we went to the church to assist with the cooking prep and decor set-up. I helped make the dessert (cheesecake in chocolate bowls) — I made 6 batches (I feel?) of the cheesecake combination, washed over 100 goblet glasses, helped plan the technique for all of the serving, and helped chop and peel meals and clear up. It was so enjoyable to look at all of it come to life and what number of fingers really made mild work!
My sister, Olivia, made dairy-free, gluten-free desserts for these with sensitivities/allergic reactions. The dinner menu was totally gluten-free besides the rolls and he or she additionally made gluten-free rolls for many who had been GF.
We had 56 {couples} who RSVP’d for the occasion + all of the servers and further helpers, so all totaled it was round 140 individuals who could be consuming dinner, which meant there was heaps and many meals to make!
Whereas a few of us had been engaged on meals, there was an entire different group of individuals engaged on reworking the worship heart right into a banquet corridor!
Throughout the dinner, every desk was given dialogue questions to speak about collectively (see under). Then, after the dinner, my dad led some enjoyable couple video games (with prizes!), then gave an inspiring speak on marriage, after which the {couples} all went off individually to debate some questions particularly to assist strengthen their marriage and spend time praying collectively.
I bought the unimaginable privilege of attending to oversee the 18 servers and all of the meals going out to everybody’s desk. I simply should say, I got here away so inspired by watching the subsequent technology of younger folks. So most of the servers had been younger males and I used to be blown away by their willingness to volunteer hours of their time to work so onerous, have such nice attitudes, take such initiative, and never cease till all of the dishes had been carried out and every little thing was cleaned up.
At the start, when each couple arrived, they’d their photograph taken by Andrew Cook dinner. Then, throughout the banquet, he had all of them printed and put them into frames so that everybody bought to take one house on the finish as a particular memento of the night.
Right here’s my dad and mom’ photograph. It was so particular to get to assist them out and work along with them on this occasion!
A number of the images on this submit had been taken by Andrew Cook dinner Pictures and used with permission.
